Dear Sue and other subscribers living in big cities, I did a google.com search for Oklahoma City + public library and came up with the website for the OC PL. You are in luck--I think. Oklahoma City has a genealogy online database called HeritageQuest, but you must have a valid (not expired) library card with a number on it. HeritageQuest has online many of the US censuses on it, plus some digitized books. some Revolutionary war pension records [selected] PERSI [an index to a LOT of genealogical periodicals from around the country], etc. When you renew your card, ask for some instructions about how to use HeritageQuest, particularly the browse part. Also ask for any census indexes [published ones, and photocopy the 1850 indexes for your surnames, if available.] Now--to Madison Co., KY - many of my people came to that area, enticed no doubt by the land speculation called Boonesborough. Oh, yes, my friends, there is a book on HeritageQuest called Boonesborough, if I remember correctly. The author is Ranck. My people came from three places [Kentucky became a state in 1792, and prior to that it was part of Virginia}. Those places were North Carolina, particularly Northern North Carolina [Tennessee was part of NC until about 1796] Virginia and, in some instances, from Pennsylvania but through North Carolina in many instances. No doubt some adventuresome folks came from elsewhere, but were I you I would concentrate on searching those three places. Because the 1790 census for Virginia seems to be among the missing, a couple of wonderful ladies compiled the so-called 1787 Census of Virginia. The 1787 Census of Virginia, as far as I have been able to determine, is not on the internet. I believe it is still under copyright. It was compiled by Nettie Schreiner-Yantis and Florine S. Love of Virginia. There are three hefty volumes, the third volume being the index to the first two volumes. In some ways, this census, which are lists of personal property (not real estate) is broken down by Virginia counties [ a few are missing]. This census may lead you to the origins of your Kentucky people. As stated, not everyone came from Virginia, but the likelihood is GREAT. And besides these personal property tax lists list several counties in Kentucky, including Madison Co., KY. One must study the INDEX thoroughly--photocopy the pages with your surnames even if they are common. Then you need to check EVERY instance where your surname appears. Why? Because, you may find your ancestor, even if he had a common surname, had personal property in at least two jurisdictions. One of my early families in Madison Co. held property in two jurisdictions: Albemarle Co., VA and in Madison Co., which later became Kentucky. So--I discovered that as early as 1787, he was already making a move [with most of his 19 children by two wives] to Kentucky. With luck, once in a while you will find in the Kentucky (and elsewhere) deed books a power of attorney which your ancestor is giving to someone out of state to conduct some business affairs for him. DO NOT OVERLOOK the deed indexes--both grantor and grantee, and for Madison Co., they are typewritten and alphabetized. Teach yourself to read deed indexes--and then deeds--even if you have to go to your local courthouse and learn there. (I just attended an all-day lecture about the valuable use of land records in your research. This is not useful for New Englanders, but for others, this resource may be your most valuable resource.) (Amazing how these deed indexes may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. I was familiar with the deed indexes for Madison Co., KY, as they have been filmed by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and I have them on permanent loan at my LARGE FHC. However, on a personal visit to Clark Co., KY a few years ago, I leanred that one has to use an index to use the index!!! I had never run into that before, and I have read indexes from California to Virginia, stopping in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana--oh, yes, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, etc.) Anyone who lives in a big city should start research at his local library--the main one, and snoop around to local histories, etc. Most will deny they have genealogical collections, but they are there. You just have to be clever and think outside the box!!! Look for immigration records and emigration records, local histories, military histories, ethnic histories, etc. And be sure to ask about HeritageQuest. If this is not available through your local library--or a library in a nearby county, where you may have to pay a fee--go to the website of the Godfrey Memorial Library, which welcomes your $35 subscription, which entitles you to a year's worth of library card!!! Happy hunting! E.W.Wallace